Fish turn into beauty experts at Chennai salon

Chennai, Aug 21 (ANI): After gaining popularity in China, Japan and other countries, fish pedicure has emerged as a new age beauty treatment for tired souls in Chennai.

Moving around in a tub of warm water, numerous small fish nibble at dead skin, leaving hands and feet shiny and smooth.

Deviating from the usual, a fish pedicure or manicure offers a unique ticklish and lively experience to those who indulge in it.

NIBBLE, NIBBLE It’s the fish at work on your feet

"A pedicure is not a very enjoyable experience, the normal pedicure. We wanted to make it much more enjoyable and fun loving for people. We thought that when they come here. They should enjoy and have a good experience. We wanted to give them a lively experience and through fish pedicure we have been able to give them that," said Rahim, Director, Naturals Salon and Spa.

The idea behind the fish spa was to find a replacement for scrubbers used for pedicures and manicures. A fish called 'Garra Rufa' or 'Doctor Fish' is used for these beauty treatments.

These fish nibble away at the dead skin on the hands and feet as the hot water in which they thrive doesn't support much plant or aquatic life, so they learned to feed on whatever food sources were available, including dead, flaking skin and this is what gave the idea to start this unique beauty treatment.

They leave live skin alone because, without teeth, they can't bite it off.

Fish pedicure and manicure has already created quite a stir in the city with hordes of people coming in to try them out.

For the first timers, the experience might have been a little scary, but they come out all full of praise after letting the 'Garra Rufa' nibble away at their feet and hands.

"Initially, it's a bit scary. It's a very nice feeling. Before I used to keep coming for the normal pedicure and manicure, now I keep coming for this because it's different. It's like entertainment when you see those fishes doing it," said Ankeera, a customer.

The fish don't do the job alone. After 15 to 30 minutes in the tank, customers get a standard pedicure, made easier by the soft skin the doctor fish leave behind.

Fish therapy or fish pedicure originated in Turkey where these fish were first used to provide temporary relief to patients affected with psoriasis. By Jai Kumar (ANI)

Fish pedicures become a trendy spa treatment

Posted on Tuesday, July 22, 2008 (EST)

A treatment offered by a northern Virginia spa that lets flesh-eating carp eat away the dead skin on your feet has customers hooked.



A northern Virginia spa has been offering a treatment that lets flesh-eating carp eat away
the dead skin on your feet. Photo Credit: CBS

July 22, 2008 (Sawf News) - A treatment offered by a northern Virginia spa that lets flesh-eating carp eat away the dead skin on your feet has customers hooked.

"This is a good treatment for everyone who likes to have nice feet," says John Ho, who runs the Yvonne Hair and Nails salon with his wife.

The pedicure using the garra rufa, or doctor fish, first became popular in Turkey and then moved on to Asia.

Ho claims he chanced upon the treatment while looking for an alternative to the use of razors to scrape off the dead skin, a practice now frowned upon by state regulators because of sanitary concerns.

To begin with he was skeptical the fish would thrive in the warm water needed for a comfortable footbath, but he chose to try it out and let his customers decide for themselves.

It did not take long for the customers to get hooked.

The treatment costs $45 for 15 minutes of sticking your feet in the fish tank.